閱讀理解
     Machines in the home have a short history. Sewing machines, washing machines and tumble dries are
common enough today, but a hundred years ago few people could even imagine such things. However,
inventors have designed and built a wide range of household machines since then. In most cases the
inventor tried to patent(申請專利)his machine, to stop anyone copying it. Then he tried to produce a lot
of them. If the machine became popular, the inventor could make a lot of money.
     In 1790 the first sewing machine was patented. The inventor was an Englishman called Thomas Saint.
There was nothing to match his machine for forty years, and then someone built a similar device. He was a Frenchman, Bartelemy Thimonier. Neither of these early machines worked very well, however. It wasn't
until 1846 that an inventor came up with a really efficient sewing machine. He was an American, Elias
Howe and his machine was good enough to beat five skilled sewing women. He didn't make much money
from it, however. The first commercially successful sewing machine was patented by Isaac Singer five
years later.
     Today, we take washing machines for granted, but there was none before 1869. The revolving drum(旋轉(zhuǎn)桶)of that first machine set a pattern for the future, but it was crude by today's standards. The drum was turned by hand, and needed a lot of effort. Eight years passed before someone produced an electric
washing machine. The world had to wait even longer for a machine to dry clothes. The first spin-drier was another American invention, patented in 1924; but it was 20 years before such machines were widely
used.
     It was yet another American, called Bissell, who introduced the carpet sweeper. He patented the
original machine back in 1876. It didn't pick up dirt very well, but it was quicker than a dustpan and brush. Thirty-six years later, even the carpet sweeper was old-fashioned: modern homes now have a vacuum
cleaner with an electric motor to suck the dust.
1. Inventors patent the inventions so as to __________ .
A. produce more machines              
B. avoid being copied by others
C. make the inventions more popular      
D. make more money
2. Whose sewing machine could do far more than the work that was done by five skilled sewing women?
A. Thomas Saint's.  
B. Bartelemy Thimonier's.
C. Elias Howe's.    
D. Isaac Singer's.
3. According to the article, modern inventors __________.
A. followed the pattern of the first revolving drum but improve it much
B. only imitated the first washing machine
C. powered the first ever-made washing machine by electricity
D. had to wait for the first spin-drier for a long time
4. The underlined word "crude" in the sentence "but it was crude by today's standards." probably means
__________.
A. useless      
B. ugly-looking      
C. rough      
D. not skillfully made
5. The article mainly tells us about __________.
A. the great inventors in the world    
B. the important inventions in the world
C. the short history of household machines
D. the importance of the machines used in the home
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

第二部分   閱讀理解

（共25小題。第一節(jié)每小題2分，第二節(jié)每小題1分；滿分45分）

第一節(jié)   閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的四個選項(xiàng)（A、B、C和D）中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)，并在答題卡上將該項(xiàng)涂黑。

C

Pocket Tape – Recorders “Family and Home Magazine” test what’s on the market now.

Pearlcorder S702 $ 64

This simple model at the bottom of the Olympus range scored the most points for its excellent quality of recording. Background noise hardly affects the sound and recording from a pocket is perfectly possible, but it doesn’t turn off automatically.

Tape length：30 minutes per side. Weight：240g.

Sony M9 $ 49.95

Small and very good looking, Sony’s latest offering scored most for appearance. Sounds clear, but there is slight machine noise. The big control buttons are a great improvement on some of the complicated little controls on other tape – recorders. Doesn’t switch off automatically, but a red light shows if the machine is still running.

Tape length：60 minutes per side. Weight：195g.

Sony M400 $ 115

Lots of little control buttons that make a noise are difficult to use. Recording was good but machine noise lost points. Tape counter and automatic switch – off when tape has finished recording or rewinding are useful.

Tape length：60 minutes per side. Weight：230g.

Imperial OEM MC7 $ 29.95

Cheap and simple compared with the rest, but recording was good as long as there was no background noise. Use only its own – make of cassette. No light to show it is on；no fast – forward button and the record button makes a loud noise.

Tape length：30 minutes per side. Weight：285g.

Philips 585 $ 80

Handsome and simple to use, but recording is very poor at more than the recommended distance of 5 cm – designed for dictation. No recording light.

Tape length：15 minutes per side. Weight：220g.

The machine that produces the best recording with the least unwanted noise is the _____.

A. Pearlcorder S702                    B. Sony M9

C. Sony M400                         D. Imperial OEM MC7

If you want a machine which turns off automatically and weighs very little you should choose the _____

A. Pearlcorder S702                  B. Sony M9

C. Sony M400                      D. Philips 585

Which of the following allows you to record longest but costs you least?

A. Philips 585                       B. Imperial OEM MC7

C. Sony M400                       D. Sony M9

What disadvantage does only the Imperial OEM MC7 have?

A. No light shows when it is on.          B. It requires a special cassette.

C. It picks up background noise .         D. The record button makes a noise.

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科目：高中英語 來源：安徽省懷寧中學(xué)2009-2010學(xué)年度高一下學(xué)期期中考試（英語） 題型：閱讀理解


第三部分：閱讀理解（共20題；每小題2分，共40分）
閱讀下列短文，從每題中所給的A、B、C、D四個選項(xiàng)中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)。
You have heard the expression “horse sense”. As you may imagine, it came from the time when the majority of people traveled in vehicles drawn by horses. A horse does have a lot of common sense, and there are many true stories about horses having saved their drivers from danger of death.
Today for the most part, people travel by train, ship, airplane, and car, but very little by the use of horses. Modern vehicles are propelled by engines, and an engine does not have any sense. In case of danger, many horses could be depended on to help. Not so with the engine; the driver must do all the things.
In recent years, the speed of travel has increased greatly. With the increased speed comes greatly increased danger. The driver of a powerful engine needs to be careful. A moment of being careless may cost a life. In order to drive today, a person must be able to see clearly, and he must learn and follow carefully the rules for safety on the road. Greater attention is the price we pay for using a machine instead of a horse.
56. The passage mainly talks about ______.
A. engines    B. safe driving    C. using horses    D. modern machines
57. The underlined word “propel” in the second paragraph means ______.
A. repair    B. raise    C. push forward    D. made
58. It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A. a driver must know the rules of safety
B. a driver needs to be able only to tell red from green
C. an eye test is an important part of a driver’s examination
D. greater attention is needed for a driver while driving a machine
59. Which of the following is NOT true?
A. A driver must be able to see and hear well.
B. The driver of a car must follow the rules of safety.
C. Horses are known to have saved their drivers from injury.
D. It is better for vehicles to be pulled by horse than to be pushed by engine.

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科目：高中英語 來源：四川省廣安中學(xué)2010屆高三下學(xué)期第一次月考 題型：閱讀理解


第三部分：閱讀理解（共20小題，每題2分，滿分40分）
閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的四個選項(xiàng)（A、B、C和D）中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)，并在答題卡上將該項(xiàng)涂黑。
A
The luxury of eating an apple on Mars could cost as much as US $22,000. That's because it costs about US $120,000 to launch a kilogram of anything into deep space. So getting enough food into orbit is a big problem facing astronauts on a trip to Mars.
After NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) has no current plans to send astronauts to Mars, related research is being carried out—including the production of food. Astronauts on the international Space Station usually eat primarily freeze-dried food to which they add water. However, the weight of the packaging—almost as much as the food inside—costs a lot of money. The biggest problem of all is a psychological one.
Scientists believe that astronauts will suffer without the variety offered by fresh vegetables. The answer is to grow at least some of the food. On a short trip it is imagined that astronauts will eat vegetables such as lettuce, spinach and carrots grown in a refrigerator-sized unit known as a "salad machine". On longer journeys they will actually grow vegetables in greenhouses on Mars. Martian astronauts will eat a vegetarian diet since it will not be practical to raise animals. To make up for the lack of meat, recipes have been created to add as much variety to the diet as possible, using only a basic number of products. It uses heat and mechanical force to transform soybeans into meat and cheese substitutes（代替品）. The prized result of this research is a purely vegetable-based pizza with meat and cheese substitutes .
41. What is the best title for this story?
A. Space Food                                          B. Astronauts' Problem
C. The Packaging of Space Food          D. Mars Rover-Spirit
42. What is the main problem with the diet of astronauts on the international Space Station now?
A. The packaging is too expensive.
B. Only fresh vegetables are offered.
C. Too much water is needed for dried food.
D. There are not enough choices of food.
43. What is the "salad machine" in the spaceship for?
A. It stores vegetables.                 B. It grows vegetables.
C. It cooks green salad.                D. It mixes green salad.
44. From the passage we know that the diet plan for Martian astronauts is short of     .
A. Vegetables.               B. A special kind of Pizza.            C. Meat.         D. Soybeans

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科目：高中英語 來源：江西省會昌中學(xué)2009-2010學(xué)年度高二第二學(xué)期第一次月考 題型：閱讀理解


第三部分：閱讀理解 
第一節(jié) 閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的A、B、C、D四個選項(xiàng)中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)，并在答題卡上將該項(xiàng)涂黑。（共15小題，每小題2分，共30分）           
A
It was midnight in Paris and we were rolling toward Avenue Bosguet. As we came to the Pont Alexandra Ⅲ, the taxi slowed down, for the traffic light was red against us, and then, without stopping, we sailed through the red in a sudden burst of speed. The same performance was repeated at the Alma Bridge. As I paid the driver, I asked him why he had driven through two red lights.
“You ought to be ashamed of yourself, breaking the law and endangering your life that way ,” I protested.
He looked at me, astonished. “Ashamed of myself? I am a law abiding(守法的)citizen and have no desire to get killed either.” He cut me off before I could protest.
“No, just listen to me before you complain .What did I do? Went through a red light. Well, did you ever stop to consider what a red light is, what it means?”
“Certainly,” I replied. “It’s a stop signal and means that traffic is rolling in the opposite direction.”
“Half-right,” said the driver, “but incomplete. It’s only an automatic stop signal. And it does not mean that there is cross traffic. Did you see any cross traffic during our trip? Of course not. I slowed down at the light, looked carefully to the right and to the left. Not another car on the street at this hour. Well, then! What would you have me do? Should I stop like a stupid animal because an automatic, brainless machine turns red every forty seconds? No, sir,” he shouted. “I am a man, not a machine. I have eyes and a brain and judgment, given me by God. Ashamed of myself, you say? I would only be ashamed of myself if I let those blinking lamps do my thinking for me. Good night ,sir.”
Is this bad, is this good? Frankly I am no longer sure...
56. At the Alma Bridge,_________.
A. the writer stopped the taxi and paid the driver              
B. the taxi went through a red light again
C. there was a performance the writer had already watched
D. the writer began to criticize the driver
57. To the taxi driver, a red light_________.
A. was not a stop signal                            
B. should not work at midnight
C. sometimes made mistakes in judgment    
D. didn’t always mean that there was cross traffic
58. The main reason the driver dared to drive through the red light was that______.
A. he found there was no cross traffic there at that time
B. he thought it a shame to be controlled by a machine
C. he knew no other driver would see him at this hour
D. he didn’t trust any brainless machine
59. According to the passage, the driver thought what he had done was________.
A. law abiding（守法的）                   B .lawbreaking 
C. something to be proud of                     D .something to be ashamed of

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科目：高中英語 來源：湖北省六市2010屆高三下學(xué)期聯(lián)合考試英語試題 題型：閱讀理解


第三部分：閱讀理解(共20小題；每小題2分，滿分40分)
閱讀下列短文，從每篇短文后所給各題的四個選項(xiàng)(A、B、C和D)中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)，并在答題卡上將該項(xiàng)涂黑。
“Tell me, Wally,” my amazed friend asked the driver, “have you always served customers like this?”
Wally smiled into the back-view mirror.
“No, not always. In fact, it’s only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the taxi drivers do. Then I heard the personal growth of Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day. He had just written a book called You’ll See It When You Believe It. Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you’ll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, ‘Stop complaining! Distinguish yourself from your competition. Don’t be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles fly high above the crowd.’”
“That hit me right between the eyes. Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other taxis and their drivers. The taxis were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.”
“I take it that has paid off for you,” I said.
“It sure has,” Wally replied. “My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I’ll probably quadruple(增四倍) it. You were lucky to get me today. I don’t sit at taxi-stands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can’t pick them up myself, I get a trustworthy friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.”
Wally was phenomenal. He was running a first-class service out of a Yellow Taxi.
I’ve probably told that story to more than fifty taxi drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn’t do any of what I was suggesting.
Wally, the Taxi Driver, made a different choice.
51.   The underlined word “phenomenal” means ______.
A．easy-going           B．warm-hearted      C．flexible              D．remarkable
52.   Wally doesn’t park his taxi at taxi-stands just because _______.
A．his income doubles.
B．his taxi is usually fully booked
C．he has a company of his own.
D．he has a look of a disgusting eagle
53.   Wally’s income doubled when he improved his service about ______.
A．one year ago                                        B．two years ago
C．five years ago                                       D．seven years ago
54.   After reading the passage we may draw a safe conclusion that ______.
A．kindness must be rewarded
B．it’s easy to say but hard to do
C．good service pays off in the end
D．the early bird catches the worm

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